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USS North Carolina
The USS North Carolina BB-55 , also nicknamed the Showboat, is a large warship of the North Carolina class. She was actually the fourth-built of five vessels which bear the name of the Tar Heel state. Her three predecessors were never involved in any major conflict (one was scrapped before its construction was finished) and her one successor, still in operation, is a submarine. This particular USS North Carolina was the most highly decorated American Battleship in WWII, and is one of the few battleships from that era to still be intact today. Description/Statistics The North Carolina is approximately 730 feet long, with a 108 foot beam, a 33 foot draft, and armor up to 16 inches thick in places. She ran on four propellers, had a top speed of 26 knots, and housed over 2,300 soldiers during her time in service. At the time of her construction, she carried three OS2U Kingfisher floatplanes, along with two catapults to launch them from, and 45 guns of various sizes, ranging from the massive 16-inch 45 calibre Mark 6 guns to the much smaller 28-millimeter anti-aircraft cannons. Many of these guns have since been replaced or removed, and only one of the three floatplanes has survived to stay on board the ship. Wartime The North Carolina was constructed in a New York Naval shipyard. She was launched in June of 1940, sponsored by the daughter of the current governer of the state of North Carolina (hence the name). She completed several training exercises over the next year; she was on one of these in the Carribean when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, and thusly was one of the few state-named battleships to escape damage in that event. Unlike many ships, who returned to Pearl Harbor after the tragedy, the North Carolina stayed in the Atlantic for a while longer to warn off German battleships who might try to attack American Supply convoys. The North Carolina entered into official service in the Pacific fleet in summer of 1942, and became the first new battleship by the USA to fight in World War II. She was involved in every major conflict in the Pacific Theatre, including Guadalcanal and Midway. During her time of service, she managed to avoid most enemy fire (one torpedo only just missed the ship, thanks to good steering) and sustained only two serious injuries. During a confusion of anti-aircraft fire between American and Japanese ships, the North Carolina was accidentally struck by a shell from another US ship, killing three men and injuring 44 more. Another gunner died during an attack by kamakazes in the battle of Guadalcanal, and five more were slain when a torpedo struck the ship - however, thanks to great skill on the part of her pilot, the ship was able maintain formation and to sail back in for repairs without sustaining permanent damage. In total, during her many years of service, ten of her over 2,300 men perished on board the North Carolina, and 67 more were wounded. These low numbers, and the fact that she managed to stay relatively undamaged during most combat situations, earned her the reputation of being a very tough ship. When she retired from combat in 1947, the battleship North Carolina had earned 8 medals and 15 battle stars - 23 awards in total. She was the most decorated battleship in the navy at the time. ''"Are You Afire?" Probably the most famous bit of history regarding the USS ''North Carolina occured during the Battle of Guadalcanal. The North Carolina was with another battleship called Enterprise when the attack began, and she single-handedly took out about a dozen enemy aircraft. The gunners were firing their cannons so enthusiastically and quickly that the voluminous black smoke cloud from the cannons obscured the vessel herself. There was so much smoke, the crew of the Enterprise thought their fellow battleship had spontaneously gone up in flames; the words of their worried telegram - "battleship..north..carolina..are..you..afire" - have since gone down in history as a symbol of the power of the ship, and the dedication of her men. Peacetime The North Carolina would have been scrapped, or left to rot, were it not for the efforts of the state for which she was named. In 1960, the ship was sold to the state of North Carolina itself, after a campaign by schoolchildren called "Save our Ship" started people raising money to rescue the famous vessel. She was towed by tugboats into the seaside port of Wilmington, NC, and permanently moored in a spur of the Cape Fear River in August of 1962, where she still lies today. Renovation and restoration projects - some of which are still in operation - allowed her to be opened to the public as a museum ship. After many decades, she still remains a popular Historical Attraction. She was the site for several Memorials held in by (or in honor of) veterans, many of which served on her, or on other ships, during WWII. Category:Battleships Category:WWII Category:US Navy Ships